


"I Promise You"

by Katiebug445



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, FMAB spoilers, Mentions of a character death, royaiweek2017, this one fucking hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 21:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11134911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katiebug445/pseuds/Katiebug445
Summary: Promises are funny things, aren’t they? Some are made with the intent of being broken - like the alchemist’s promise to pay him back when things settled down, even though they both know they might not live to see that. Some are made with the best intentions, even though they aren’t able to be kept - like his promise to keep her safe. And some, some of the lucky ones, are kept for a lifetime.





	"I Promise You"

At the grave of a father, a man and a woman stand together, discussing an uncertain future. He hides the fear in his voice as he asks if she will reject him as her dad did before his death. She turns to him with reassurance in her eyes and promises she won’t. She never did.

 

In the middle of a battlefield, after the fighting has died, a man stands behind a woman as she buries one of the innocents. He tells her the war is over, but she insists it’s just beginning, for her, for him, for all of them. That the memories of what they did will haunt them for the rest of their lives. She asks him if she will release her from her past, from what her father did, and with a reluctant heart, he promises he will. No amount of freedom will make up for the pain he causes her. 

 

In a quiet room, on a quiet evening, a woman promises a man to always keep him safe, no matter what. He asks if she would shoot him if he ever deviates from the path he’s on, and she promises she will. She tells him she will follow him into the very mouth of hell if need be. They both hope it will never come to that. 

 

At the grave of a friend, a man and woman stand together, not saying anything, the sounds of his daughter’s cries still ringing in their heads. She asks if he’s alright, and he says that he is, though it’s a bad day for it to rain. She tells him it isn’t, and he turns his face to the sky, and promises that it is. No amount of comfort will ever replace what’s been lost. 

 

In a warehouse floor, a man lays in front of a woman, having barely survived a brush with death, and sees first hand how much he means to her. He can see the tears in her eyes, the dampness on her cheeks, and can almost hear the thoughts going around in her head. Her vow broken, him gone, nothing left. He promises himself that he will never put her in that position ever again. 

 

 

On a warm night, a man stands in front of a laboratory, and a woman by a car, both stubborn, both unwilling to let the other be hurt, and both convinced that the other is stupid for suggesting what they are. He tells her that staying behind is an order, she retorts that it’s one she can’t follow. He promises her that if she stays behind, he’ll come back alive. It’s one that he’s able to keep. 

 

A woman stands behind a man, a gun in her hand, and points it directly at his back. Her hands shake, but she knows this is what she signed up for in being close to him, for loving him. She tells him that he’s better than what he’s becoming, and he asks what she’ll do if she shoots him. She informs him that she has no intention of continuing after it’s all over, and he promises that he can’t let that happen. He can’t afford to lose her, too. 

 

In a warehouse basement, a man is held back from protecting the woman he loves, and is forced to watch her bleed out. They tell him she can be saved if he complies with their wishes, but she tells him no. caught between his head and his heart, he denies their requests and prays. For the first time in years, he prays. For her life, for her safety, for a miracle. When he finally can get to her, he promises that this is the last time she’ll be hurt because of him. They both know that’s unkeepable. 

 

A man stumbles his way through the veil, confused as to what has happened. His hands hurt, everything is dark, and his heart is calling out for her. He can hear voices, but he can’t make out a face. Friends surround him, but none of them are her. A battle happens around him, but he’s left in the dark, wondering how many more friends he would lose before this was all over. When he finally hears her voice again, when he realizes that his fight isn’t over yet, she promises to be his eyes. The man is relieved, knowing he can’t miss with a hawk at his side. 

 

In a hospital room, a man sits on a bed with his friends surrounding him as his sight is returned. He keeps his eyes shut, and asks everyone to leave the room. All but one. He tells her to stay behind, and as the door closes behind the others, he hears the rustling of a bed sheet, then feels the dip in his own mattress as she sits beside him. He opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is her smiling face. She pulls him into her arms, and he promises her that things will be different now. They are. 

 

At the end of a phone call, a man is informed that a law has been changed, and his granddaughter is free to marry who she wishes. He calls a woman into his office, tells her what’s been on his heart since the moment they met, and asks her to marry him. She promises to consider the offer. She does. 

 

A man stands in front of a woman in front of a judge. Her dress is white, his military blues are pressed and ready for the occasion. They look into each other’s eyes, in disbelief that they made it to this moment after everything. That they’ve beaten death several times over, and had something as wonderful as this waiting on them every time. They both know that they wouldn’t be here today without the love of the other person, the dedication, the fire, and they’re grateful for each other for that. The judge asks if they will love each other for the rest of their lives. They promise they will. 

 

A man stands over a crib in a dark room, smiling gently at the tiny life asleep just a few feet from him. His finger is wrapped tightly in the girl’s little fist, and his heart melts at the sight of her. He brushes a strand of wispy hair away from her face, and brushes her cheek with his finger. He is amazed by how much he already loves the little life that he helped bring into the world, amazed by how amazing she already is. He suddenly understands the pride that long ago lost friend felt with his own little girl, and realizes how wrong he was in chastising his general for being happy. When he feels himself growing tired, he bends down and kisses his daughter on the forehead. He promises her that he will be the best father that he can be. He promises that he will always be there for her, and love her unconditionally, and be whatever it is she needs him to be. He walks away, and prays that he is given the chance to be the parent Maes Hughes never got to be. 


End file.
